About

Years ago, scientists constructed the Belief Engine, a machine that warps reality to match peoples’ most strongly held beliefs. The machine was turned on for testing, but it proved too sensitive: widespread belief in the depravity of man and imminent social collapse suddenly took on the full force of objective fact. Without resort to a shared external reality, civilization crumbled like a sand castle in the tide.

From the ruins have now arisen cults led by charismatic figures possessed of seemingly divine powers derived from the still-functioning Engine. You are one such a figure—the true one, the Messiah. It is God’s will that you build temples and marshal followers, then mold their beliefs to perform miracles and destroy your rivals. They’ll be doing the same, but don’t worry–God is on your side…

Pictured: you and up to 3 of your friends!

The first player to defeat an enemy player wins.

On your turn, position yourself and your followers to generate resources; if your units remain alive and in the correct spots when your turn comes around again, you'll build temples, recruit new followers, and obtain bonus moves based on your positioning. (This isn't mere worker placement: resources exist in actual two-dimensional space on the board, and must be defended!)

In addition to moving, your followers may pray to power uncanny miracles, or may engage in combat to destroy enemy units and capture temples.

At the end of each round, use your ill-gotten gains to bid in secret to acquire new miracles for your cult. Most of the miracles in the market have only a single copy, which means that you'll be constructing a deck with vastly different powers from everyone else at the table!

Evocative; bizarre; horrifying. Inspired in part by the works of Zdzisław Beksiński, True Messiah's art style represents a grim blend of religious symbolism and post-apocalyptic surrealism. Here is a sampling:

True Messiah is not just a game; it is a unique and beautiful visual experience.

Opening up the box, you’ll find:

an 18” x 18” quad-fold board with a lovely painted depiction of the wasteland

In a word: yes. It takes just one play-through to learn to play True Messiah, but there's loads of hidden depth left to plumb once you've mastered the basics.

The differences between the messiahs are subtle, with advantages and disadvantages arising out of their position in the turn order. Going earlier? That means you'll get an advantage from playing to control the board. Going later? You'll get an advantage in acquiring new miracles, an advantage that compounds with every round that passes...but you must successfully parry aggression from the other players to fully benefit.

Turtling is a viable strategy, but it can leave you vulnerable to being boxed in; naked aggression is also viable, but it can leave you vulnerable to a counterthrust. In all, you're looking at a game that rewards measured and deliberate play--one which will reveal new aspects of itself to you every time you break it out.

“It’s got a deep, unique interplay between spatial strategy and deck building that I dig. A beautiful brain burn.” –Don Eskridge, designer of The Resistance and Abandon Planet

“[T]he deck building mechanic is done really well and turns the managing your repertoire of miracles into a mini game of its own. But my favourite aspect of True Messiah was the way in which your troops are also your source of power for your miracles. There is a constant pressure to manage your followers and balance your belief against your combat power.” –Steven Tudor, Polyhedron Collider

“True Messiah is a fantastic blend of deckbuilding and strategy game, taking the best elements of a game like Ascension and merging it with the unit focused combat and control of Risk. One of the best elements in this game is how easy it is to learn because there are a simple set of actions, but they all have intense and often immediate strategic significance, whether it's deciding how much to bid to win first pick at the card market, or whether to focus on producing more followers or trashing your rival's temples. I played a 2v2 that left me wanting to play more.” –Sriraman Subbaraman, co-designer of Phoenix Covenant

“The game is amazing; I had a lot of fun with it!” –Undead Viking

$32,000 raised: Prosperity Monoliths

If we reach this funding level, I will include special "prosperity monolith" terrain tiles with the game! These generate coins for the player that controls them, making territory control even more important and adding texture to your decisions about where to expand your reach.

$35,500 raised: Brimstone

If we reach this funding level, I will add a new card to the game: Brimstone. This will be a low-cost attack card that enables pursuit of a direct-damage miracle strategy earlier in the game.

$38,000 raised: Recruitment Drive

If we reach this funding level, I will add a new card to the game: Recruitment Drive. This will be a more powerful version of Evangelize that enables players to more directly focus on pursuing a growth-centered miracle strategy.

$44,000 raised: Create Seraph

If we reach this funding level, I will add a new card to the game: Create Seraph. The seraph will be a high unit that provides everyone on its space immunity to the attacks of nonbelievers--in concert with cards that create nonbelievers, it can be used to deal out punishing tactical defeats!

In addition to the card, I will also create a new unit token to represent the seraph itself.

$60,000 raised and 400+ backers at or above the $60 tier: Avatar miniature

If we reach this funding level, I will commission a 3D miniature to represent the avatar unit for each player in lieu of a token. Four of these miniatures will be included with the game.

$80,000 raised and 450+ backers at or above the $60 tier: Seraph miniature

If we reach this funding level, I will commission a 3D miniature to represent the seraph unit for each player instead of a token. Four of these miniatures will be included with the game.

True Messiah's base funding goal is, quite simply, the lowest quoted price I've received to manufacture a 1,500-unit run of the game with messiah miniatures included. (Note that most manufacturers won't even agree to print fewer copies than this.)

The funding goal will not cover a) the cost of shipping; b) the cost of all the game's art; c) the taxes I will have to pay on whatever we raise; or d) compensation for the years of work I've put into designing this game. I will, in fact, actually lose thousands of dollars if we merely hit the funding goal!

So why even do it? Simple: it'll be enough to let me bring the game out into the world. True Messiah deserves to exist; and with your help, it will!

Risks and challenges

As with any physical game, there is always a risk that something could go wrong on the manufacturing or shipping end that delays the date on which the game arrives in your hands.

That said, I already have True Messiah fully designed, with finalized rules and final art formatted to the exact specifications required by the manufacturers, and I've already secured an experienced, professional shipping and fulfillment service to handle worldwide shipping of the game once it's manufactured.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

Keeper of the Boxes

[For retailers ONLY--retailer status and country of origin will be verified after the campaign ends before this reward can be sent out!] 5 full copies of True Messiah, priced with the retailer in mind. Free shipping; US retailers only.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Miracle

Everything in the "Signs and Portents" tier, PLUS I will send you a special, one-of-a-kind miracle card with beautiful artwork that is completely unique to you. We'll work together to decide the specifics of what appears on your special miracle card!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10,000
About $10,000

The Creator

Holy cow, you're amazing! You'll get everything in the "Messiah" tier, PLUS you'll get to hang out with the game's designer in Chicago over the course of a weekend. You'll be taken out for food and drinks at his favorite hang-outs, get a behind-the-scenes look at how the game is put together, and be trained in the ways of True Messiah by the world's most experienced player. (Free lodgings for the weekend are included, if you want 'em!)